Rawtalon
Preserver '''Endu (Rawtalon in Common), is one of the last remaining members of the Lupoj'inini Clan, now pledging his aid to Duchess Bronwynn Branson within the Duchy of Kentillie. As one of the few pure blooded Lupoj'inini left, Rawtalon survived both the historic Gilnean and Forsaken aggression. Rawtalon declined the Worgen Curse in favor of relying on his own powers, and struck out from the Lupoj'Drassil Den as the Cataclysm struck. His affinity for ravens and those of the Talon is fitting due to his adventurous nature, and throughout the years since his leave of Gilneas he has traveled throughout Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. Biography Birth & Childhood Born to Preservers Rawclaw and Twintalons, Rawtalon would not be named until he had lived to his seventh birthday. Referred to as "Future Preserver" or "Preservers' Child" by other Lupoj'inini throughout his early childhood, he would come to realize the path his family's bloodline had set him on. Though they were few in number as it was, Rawtalon did not often see the other young Lupoj'inini due to rigorous learning his bloodline imposed. His sister's death before he had been born ensured that the burden of becoming the next Preserver would keep him completely occupied until later in his life. The majority of the time in his early childhood was spent either sleeping, gazing towards the sky, or reading through Lupoj'inini scrolls. Come his seventh birthday, "Preservers' Child" was given the name Endu, meaning Rawtalon in Common, a mixture of his parents' names. "You become Lupoj'inini fully on this seventh birthday, Future Preserver. Take on the name Endu! En-doo! The Soaring Voyager, Rawtalon. A reminder of your heritage, just as you will become the reminder to our heritage. As you take flight in life, claw out our people's history with talon in tow." After Rawtalon's naming ceremony, his studies and learning doubled down, sometimes keeping him occupied for days at a time without sleep. On his tenth birthday, however, he was allowed a final playtime with the other young Lupoj'inini before cementing his place as a Preserver. Preserver's Training After the allowance of his final playtime, Rawtalon took his place along with his parents as Preserver. This began a new series of studies and training to hold the culture and history of the Lupoj'inini in his mind. He was taught the ways of the land by using both primitive nature magic and simple agriculture methods learned from Gilnean settlers. To that end, he was taught the ways of the Harvest Witch that he had studied as a child, and became a Harvest Watcher of the Lupoj'inini Clan. With aid from Lupoj'inini sympathizers in the neighboring town of Knaerwood, Rawtalon's inscription capabilities escalated rapidly in Common. Preservers Rawclaw and Twintalons taught the importance of spoken word as well, leading Rawtalon to develop astounding vocal rhetoric and inflection. All that remained was the teaching of various rituals and ceremonies that had been out of practice for decades, and thus saved for later in his practices. However, an unfortunate end for the elder Preservers awaited prematurely at the hands of a Gilnean hunting expedition near the Lupoj'Drassil Den, leaving Rawtalon with incomplete knowledge of the Lupoj'inini culture. Cataclym & Refuge As his practices continued, Rawtalon committed to memory every word of every scroll, wall-writing, and spoken story that had crossed his path. One day during his adventure into one of the older, unused Lupoj'inini cave systems however, a strange shattering began and caused him to retreat back to the Lupoj'Drassil Den. Using his Harvest Witch abilities, Rawtalon was able to communicate with the very nature surrounding him and learned of the Cataclysm. Collecting as many ancient relics and scrolls of the Lupoj'inini as he could, Rawtalon struck out across Gilneas in an attempt to ensure his Clan's legacy would be recorded and not lost forever. The very earth of Azeroth would grant him blessings on this journey, and he was able to board one of the final refuge ships sent by the Kal'Dorei to aid Gilneas. Reaching Darnassus on his twentieth birthday, he set to work making multiple copies of the histories he had brought with him, and even those he had memorized from his studies. He would spend the next year and a half doing so, ensuring that the Lupoj'inini would live on in history at the very least. WIth his contribution to his Clan bound, Rawtalon set out on his own path. From his twenty-first year to his twenty-fourth he travelled Teldrassil and other Kal'Dorei lands, learning the ways of Druidism and the Druids of the Talon. He drew upon his bloodline's strong connection to primitive nature magic and his own connection to nature itself to empower and enrich these teachings. Travels & Tragedy Before the end of his twenty-fourth year, Rawtalon struck out from Kal'Dorei lands in search of adventure and new stories to experience and inscribe into history. This would lead to an extensive tour throughout much of Kalimdor. Travelling throughout the Barrens with the aid of a band of mercenaries, Rawtalon took much interest in the Centaur and studied their race from afar. The wildlife of Dustwallow Marsh further in his travels was also of great note to Rawtalon. Many months into the expedition, however, Rawtalon would meet Milena Valair within Tanaris and fall in love with her. The two had a whirlwind romance that resulted in the birth of a baby. Rawtalon began to resent Lupoj'inini traditions that held him back from having the family he so desired be fulfilled, and so he named his daughter before her seventh birthday. He gave her the name Hyandyo, Densong in Common. Soon he would see why such traditions were in place, however. At age twenty-six, with his one year old daughter and Milena in tow, Rawtalon would come face to face with Tanari pirates as he began a voyage to the Eastern Kingdoms. With his physicality and prowess, he was easily able to defend himself and the dexterity of the ship from the pirates. He had not accounted for his wife and child though, and as he searched the ship he would find Milena's body still grasping and trying to protect his deceased daughter. Grief stuck with Rawtalon from his voyage to Booty Bay and his travels throughout Stranglethorn and Duskwood to reach Elwynn Forest. Selling off most goods and valuables he had obtained for his family floated him through merchant caravans that would reach Stormwind City eventually. Return to Gilneas A newly-somber Rawtalon catches word of Duchess Bronwynn Branson's venture to retake the Duchy of Kentillie as he wanders the streets of Stormwind City. Realizing that all he has left in the world is his heritage and history, he communicates with the Duchess in an attempt to offer aid to her cause in hopes of regaining the Lupoj'inini land. Notable Relationships Matoaka; Through his Preserver learnings and examination of Lupoj'inini culture, Rawtalon developed a deep appreciation and admiration of Clan Leader Matoaka. This, combined with several opportunities to speak with her through his earlier life, make her a role model and guardian-figure to the man who lost his in his teenage years. Rawclaw; A carefree soul, Rawclaw was Rawtalon's father. Though he believed in the importance of Rawtalon's studies to join him as a Preserver, Rawclaw believed it necessary to be lenient with his child as well. Whenever Rawtalon was not being taught practical application of primitive nature magic or Lupoj'inini history, Rawclaw would take time to teach him practical activites to form parent bonding, such as skipping stones on a river. Rawclaw's death set Rawtalon back weeks in his studies as he began to doubt that he could take the place of such an inspirational Preserver and father. Twintalons; Quite the opposite of her mate, Rawtalon's mother was distant and cold. She lived and breathed Lupoj'inini heritage and did not subscribe to the belief of living without devoting it completely to her task within the Clan. For this reason, Twintalons and Rawtalon never developed a deep bond as he did with his father. Though he respected her as a mother that provided for him, on some level Rawtalon resented the distance that Twintalons herself kept from her child. At her death, Rawtalon grieved silently but overall recovered quickly. Milena Valair; A Tanari woman that Rawtalon met on his travels in his twenties, Milena was a stunning woman both physically and mentally. She was able to rattle off various histories as well as Rawtalon could the Lupoj'inini's. The two went through a whirlwind romance that resulted swiftly in a child. The two planned to cross the seas into the Eastern Kingdoms in an attempt to settle down somewhere more fitting for a child to grow, but Tanari pirates intercepted the ship they had boarded and killed both Milena and the infant. This death has left Rawtalon distraught to this day, nightmares still haunting his sleep of her lifeless body attempting to protect their child. Densong; Rawtalon's child with Milena Valair, Densong was only one year old before her death at the hands of Tanari pirates. Months prior to this, Rawtalon had gone against Lupoj'inini customs to give her a name, showing just how great he cared for her and had been attached to her already. Her death has left Rawtalon without purpose and feeling as if his bloodline and people were meant to die out. Description Physical Appearance Rawtalon stands at 5'11" with a leaner build than that of most of his Clan. Though he has some muscle definition, this is mostly due to hauling around dozens of pounds of merchandise and valuables each day, putting his weight in at just under 200 lb. Aside from a scar that runs the length of his right shoulder, Rawtalon's skin is clear of any irritations or imperfections. He has midnight black hair, often shaved low on the sides and back of his head. He shaves most of his facial hair daily, leaving only a small goatee that requires trimming once a week. His eyes are a muddy brown that reflect the very earth of Azeroth that he holds so highly. When on his travels, Rawtalon dressed in various fur vests, britches, and boots. However, upon his arrival to Gilneas once more he has donned a blue woolen vest accented with fur stitching, blue woolen britches accented with fur stitching, and Borean Leather boots. He often tops this off with a large bear hide imported from Grizzly Hills, designed over by artists with dozens of small cloud collections and accented with fur stitching. Personality Though a socially awkward child due to his unique upbringing, Rawtalon has become quite the storyteller. Regaling others with tales of his own Clan and other races that he learned of during his travels in Kalimdor has become second nature to him. He does not smile or laugh often, but enough to keep himself happy and realize the meaningfulness behind it when he does. He is quite solemn and composed, but can easily become spooked in recent times. The loss of his love and child has brought new grief to Rawtalon's life, as well as grief. He is often drowsy from a lack of sleep, causing more grumpy outbursts than one could normally expect from the man. He has also stopped recalling stories as easily and eagerly, showing a preference for solitude. Trivia (In Character) * Rawtalon's favorite food is Tanari buzzard broth. * Rawtalon prefers to write his own feelings out, believing that he can best portray his meaning with the words that way. * Rawtalon has a distaste for pirates, swashbucklers, and anyone related to that kind of bunch. Trivia (Out of Character) * Originally Rawtalon's name was going to be Rawclaw, but the idea to have him named the Soaring Voyager caused that to become his father's name.Category:Characters Category:Gilnean Category:Human Category:Kingdom of Gilneas Category:Lupoj'drassil Clan Category:Duchy of Kentillie